


algebraic!

by kasparhauser



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-09-01 12:11:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8624035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kasparhauser/pseuds/kasparhauser
Summary: in which zen is a good person who is bad at math, and his friends try to help him to varying degrees of success.(to be blunt, jaehee is the only one who is really tutoring him at all.)





	

“- and that concludes our first class!” the professor smiled warmly, albeit a bit nervously. “Congratulations to all of you for making it through your first session of College Algebra, though I promise you that the next few classes will be a _little_ more difficult, so make sure you come prepared!”

As the students shuffled quickly out of the room, however, he noticed that there was one that remained seated.

“May I help you?” he asked.

“I … I don’t understand,” the pale-haired boy replied, almost to himself. He brought his eyes up to look at the professor, his face just as incredulous as it had been when it was directed as his desk. He looked so confused that it looked as though he were in real, horrible pain – that he was going to cry any second, real sobbing, heaving tears.

The professor knitted his eyebrows in confusion, “What?”

“I don’t understand any of this … Please, you have to help me.”

He had heard of people being bad at math before, but this was really something else.

“But … we only went over the syllabus today …”

* * *

 

“Zen, how was your first day of class?” Jaehee asked.

“It was awful … I really feel like this is it for me … When I die, please make sure that you display all the selfies I’ve taken. I took some more yesterday and put them up on my blog, did you see them? Don’t I look good in black?” Zen whined, dropping his head on the lunch table with a clatter; he winced and promptly withdrew it, rubbing his chin. He hoped it wouldn’t bruise – he really had to be more careful. After all, at this rate, his face was going to be his last saving grace, his only redeeming factor to prove that he had a right to exist, to live, to be _happy_  -

“Isn’t it just algebra? I took that when I was eleven. It’s practically elementary,” Jumin commented snidely. “Shouldn’t you save your crises for when you take something a little more advanced? I don’t believe in such melodramatics in a college student.”

Jaehee stared at him, her face perfectly blank, for three whole long seconds. Then she sighed and turned back to Zen.

“You look very good in black. I think red is more your color, but black is also good,” she observed. “But how is it that you already have a problem in the class? It’s difficult, I know, when you’re starting out … but isn’t today just for going over syllabi?”

“That’s it … that’s the problem. Exams … are worth 50% of my grade, and homework isn’t even mandatory, so the professor said he doesn’t include it in the grade at all. How am I – how am I supposed to pass with those _impossible_ standards? I’m not a _genius_. It’s not like I do math for _fun_. I’m not a _math_ major – I don’t even get why I need to take this class! I won’t need it to act! I’ve already acted so many roles – I didn’t need to know the slope of x to do that!” Zen cried, with the passion of a revolutionary trying to tear down an unjust system brick by brick.

“Math majors aren’t the only ones who need to do math,” Jumin said. “I’m a business and economics major, aren’t I? Not a math major – and even I did calculus. Aren’t you lucky if this is all you need? Be a little grateful for our poor education system.”

“Shut _up,_ you – ”

“He’s kind of right, Zen. I mean, I’m studying veterinarian science, but even I did more than algebra,” Yoosung said. When Zen turned to look at him, he immediately took a long sip from his bottle of water. “I mean, math isn’t … totally useless. Sometimes they have puzzles on LOLOL that math helps with.”

“Yeah, yeah - math is important, I get it! That’s why I need to get a good grade in it – but I can’t. I know I can’t. I’m awful at it!” Zen wailed, throwing his head into his arms.

“They say a friend in need is a friend indeed,” Jaehee said, trying to comfort him.

“True,” Jumin said. “I suppose that means I’ll have to recommend you a tutor. He’s from a top university, and majoring in financial mathematics. I myself never required his services, but – “

Zen glared at him, eyes almost empty. “You know I can’t afford that.”

“What I meant was, we can all help you,” Jaehee smiled, encouragingly. “We can all take turns and tutor you.”

“Really?” Zen perked up, and smiled back. “That would mean the world to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Jaehee thought: _if I can look at him smile forever, then it's worth any pain_ - 

"We can discuss costs later," Jumin said. 


End file.
